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Vitreous Vrinn
"Everything passes. Joy. Pain. The moment of triumph; the sigh of despair. Nothing lasts forever. Will you stand up and fight? Or do you intend to remain on your knees for ever?" -Vitreous Vrinn Childhood The younger son of Brannon Tatham and Countess Fortune, and younger brother to Tolumvire, Vitreous was named Frederick Tatham, after his mother's brother. He was raised by Lord Vrinn, a friend of Brannon Tatham. Vrinn was an artificer, and a childless widower. Frederick was told of his true parentage, raised as a commoner, and apprenticed in a glassblower’s shop. When he showed uncommon promise, his foster father trained him as an artificer, and named him as his heir. Frederick would name himself Vitreous Vrinn, after the Lord, and after the property of things being like glass. When Lord Vrinn died, Vitreous would spend his inheritance on an old Nameryan sky ship, which he would repair and bring to working condition. Vitreous only met Tolumvire once; his older brother was studying the arcane at the time, and Vitreous was still a child. Awed by his proud and aloof sibling, Vitreous listened as Tolumvire told him how he planned to seek strength in the Final Empire, and how he planned to fulfill his destiny. Adulthood When he came of age, Vitreous traveled to the Final Empire to find his brother, but the Doom had already struck, and Tolumvire was long gone. Vitreous joined Farcraft’s rebellion, and with the help of a few allies, repaired a broken sky ship called Twisted Fortune. During this time, he took the elven blademaster San-Janis as his lover, only to lose her when she was imprisoned in the Iron Cage. San-Janis was freed by Silvius, then called Pix, putting the artificer in his debt. Vitreous helped Brennen and Silvius during their war to claim the Thrones, and became a Lord in their new empire. Vitreous’ wound comes from the first time he flew his sky ship around Tir na Og. He had to flee a dragon, and flew into a Doom Storm. His face was scarred by the lightning, and the scars still hum with electric energy. His eye is badly damaged, and the face mask his wears contains an intricate lens. Personality Vitreous is an thoughtful and engaging man, giving off a not unwarranted impression of keen intelligence and professionalism. This persona masks the deep-seated narcissism that runs in his family and manifested itself so grotesquely in his brother. He fears responsibility, and craves approval. He sees himself as free from obligations, and will lose himself in mindless activity for the sake of itself if not prevented from doing so. Nonetheless, possesses some genuinely noble traits; he is no coward, and his talents, if properly utilized, are always directed to the good, and to the detriment of tyrants everywhere. War of the Philosopher-Kings Many would attribute the start of the war to Vitreous' folly, and not without good cause. It was Vitreous who, at the urging of San-Janis, came to the aid of the Janissaries freeing prisoners from Sunken City. The prisoners would make their getaway in his sky ship, the Twisted Fortune, and the Final Empire would be put in a diplomatic ruinous position. No small part of the reason behind the Final Empire's immediate and unconditional involvement in the war was to placate King Raine's understandable fury. Vitreous would become heavily involved in war preparations, in particular cooperating with Twin-Emperor Brennen in the creation of the Final Empire's magitech navy. He would given the task of captaining the navy, given his status as the only commander in the Final Empire with any significant expertise in the area. This would put him side by side with King Raine, as the two would essentially co-command the invasion of the Great River, with the islander kings largely relegated to a subordinate role. Though the invasion would have ended in catastrophe regardless, the friction between the two men contributed. Vitreous' presence made Raine more stubborn and bloodthirsty, while Raine's presence made Vitreous a reluctant participant in the war, with the result being that the imperials and the Genasi were never properly coordinated. Towards the end of the invasion, grim circumstances would force the two men to reach an understanding, but any progress made would be dashed when Raine sent Vitreous and his own Admiral, Aric Vere, on a diversionary attack on Ashkethis, Akkhe's capital. Well aware that he was being sent to his death, Vitreous would convince Aric Vere to desert the war with him. They would reach an accord with the Pharaoh, and depart with their ships, leaving Raine behind. The navy eventually returns to the Final Empire, with Aric Vere having defected to their side. The two men lead the counterattack against the wild hunt, succeeding in driving it out from the Final Empire. It is there that Vitreous learns from Silvius about the death of San-Janis, which plunges him into grief. It becomes clear that there is no role for Vitreous in the Final Empire. Vitreous has no desire to participate any further in the war that claimed the lives of so many of his loved ones, a war with no discernible purpose or ideals. For Silvius' part, Vitreous had twice proven himself disloyal, having turned on an ally the first time and deserted the field of battle the second. He would not be granted a third chance to betray his Emperor. In light of his twenty years of loyal service, Silvius would allow Vitreous to take his ship and go into exile. Vitreous would accept these terms, and go to seek out his son by San-Janis, Veridis, who had been lost during the war. He would also follow up on a rumor that Ramander had an abandoned child named Astinus. Determined to unify the cursed family that made up the House of Arendur, Vitreous would leave the Final Empire behind, forever. Category:Artificers Category:Final Empire Category:Sky Pirates Category:Characters Category:Islands of the Blessed